Song of Solomon 7–8; Psalm 127; 2 Thessalonians 2

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Song of Solomon 7–8

How beautiful are your feet in sandals,

O tnoble daughter!

Your rounded thighs are like ujewels,

the work of va master hand.

Your navel is a rounded bowl

that never lacks mixed wine.

Your belly is a heap of wheat,

encircled with wlilies.

xYour two breasts are like two fawns,

twins of a gazelle.

Your yneck is like an ivory tower.

Your zeyes are pools in aHeshbon,

by the gate of Bath-rabbim.

Your nose is like a tower of bLebanon,

which looks toward cDamascus.

Your head crowns you like eCarmel,

and your fflowing locks are like purple;

a king is held captive in the tresses.

gHow beautiful and hpleasant you are,

O loved one, with all your delights!1

Your stature is like a palm tree,

and your breasts are like its clusters.

I say I will climb the palm tree

and lay hold of its fruit.

Oh may your breasts be like iclusters of the vine,

and the scent of your breath like apples,

and your jmouth2 like the best wine.

She

It goes down smoothly for my beloved,

gliding over lips and teeth.3

10  kI am my beloved’s,

land his desire is for me.

The Bride Gives Her Love

11  mCome, my beloved,

let us go out into the fields

and lodge in the villages;4

12  let us go out early to the vineyards

nand see whether the vines have budded,

whether othe grape blossoms have opened

and the pomegranates are in bloom.

There I will give you my love.

13  pThe mandrakes give forth fragrance,

and beside our doors are all choice fruits,

qnew as well as old,

which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

Longing for Her Beloved

Oh that you were like a brother to me

who nursed at my mother’s breasts!

If I found you outside, I would kiss you,

and none would despise me.

I would lead you and rbring you

into the house of my mother

she who used to teach me.

I would give you sspiced wine to drink,

the juice of my pomegranate.

tHis left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me!

I uadjure you, O vdaughters of Jerusalem,

wthat you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

xWho is that coming up from the wilderness,

leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you.

There your mother was in labor with you;

there she who bore you was in labor.

Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as ya seal upon your arm,

for zlove is strong as death,

ajealousy5 is fierce as the grave.6

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

the very bflame of the Lord.

Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a man offered for love

all the wealth of his chouse,

he7 would be utterly despised.

Final Advice

Others

We have a little sister,

and she dhas no breasts.

What shall we do for our sister

on the day when she is spoken for?

If she is a wall,

we will build on her a battlement of silver,

but if she is a door,

we will enclose her with eboards of cedar.

She

10  fI was a wall,

and my gbreasts were like towers;

then I was in his eyes

as one who finds8 peace.

11  Solomon had ha vineyard at Baal-hamon;

he ilet out the vineyard to jkeepers;

each one was to bring for its fruit ka thousand pieces of silver.

12  My vineyard, my very own, is before me;

you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,

and lthe keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

13  mO you who dwell in the gardens,

with ncompanions listening for your voice;

olet me hear it.

She

14  pMake haste, my beloved,

and be qlike a gazelle

or a young stag

on rthe mountains of spices.


Psalm 127

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of mAscents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord xwatches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious ytoil;

for he gives to his zbeloved asleep.

Behold, bchildren are a heritage from the Lord,

cthe fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of da warrior

are the children1 of one’s youth.

Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies ein the gate.2


2 Thessalonians 2

The Man of Lawlessness

Now concerning athe coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our bbeing gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,1 not to be quickly shaken in mind or calarmed, either dby a spirit or a espoken word, or ea letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that fthe day of the Lord has come. gLet no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, hunless the rebellion comes first, and ithe man of lawlessness2 is revealed, jthe son of destruction,3 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, kproclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For lthe mystery of lawlessness mis already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then nthe lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus owill kill with pthe breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by qthe appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan rwith all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for sthose who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore tGod sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe uwhat is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned vwho did not believe the truth but whad pleasure in unrighteousness.

Stand Firm

13 But xwe ought always to give thanks to God for you, ybrothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you zas the firstfruits4 ato be saved, bthrough sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through cour gospel, aso that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, dstand firm and hold to ethe traditions that you were taught by us, either fby our spoken word or by four letter.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, gwho loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hhope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and iestablish them in every good work and word.